What does it mean to be a woman in contemporary South Africa?
Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo: [It] means I have had to sharpen my skills when it comes to claiming my space. I know the importance of my opinion in my personal and professional space.
As a writer, you are gifted with the ability to express yourself clearly and powerfully, and writing has become important for me on both formal and informal platforms.
Before I published my debut book, The Syndicate of Twenty-two
Natives, I was known as a writer of short stories or reflections on life published on social media.
These are contemporary platforms that can be used to express one's thoughts and tell stories.
From time immemorial, women have been strong and influential, even in traditional settings.
I like to think of myself as an extension of my greatgrandmother, Khokho Mandlesilo (my father's maternal grandmother), who was a very strong and influential woman in her family and community. She was outspoken and feisty, and she did not feel threatened by being the fourth wife in a patriarchal traditional Zulu setting.
She claimed her space and was well-respected well into her 90s. I am a modern extension of Khokho Mandlesilo, but in contemporary times.
I still have to make sure patriarchy and misogyny do not drown out my voice and those of other women.
